Overall, I've been finding Aural OK, but the bit that I can't do for grade 7 is identify the music and its period.

So, could everyone tell me about the characteristics of the pieces of Modern, Romantic, Classical and Baroque, in terms of texture, form (including phrase structure), style and period, dynamics and tempo? I'd really appreciate it!

Baroque - really trilly sorts of things, barely any long held notes at all. Often played staccato-ish as it would have been written for harpsichord. Contrapuntal, no chords. Mostly mp / mf.

Classical - Structured, pretty music. Doesn't "go places" in the same way as Romantic but ambles along gently. Listen for alberti bass in LH, eg GDBG GDBD GECE GDBD etc. Contrapuntal. Mostly mp / mf

Romantic - Lots of pedal, uses pretty much all of the keyboard (very low and very high notes), lots of rubato (sppeding up, slowing down, shaping the tempo the way that takes your fancy). Big crashy chords. fffff to ppppp, with loads of sfz (I'm not going to try and spell that)

Modern - Experimenty sorts of things. Pedal, clashing, silence, daft time signatures... anything goes.

Thanks!

No probs...
but then again, I did really screw up my aural the other day, so it doesn't really count for much.
I couldn't remember what a modulation was, and I couldn't say whether it was in 2, 3, 4 or 6/8!#
Oh dear

I don't play a thing but I like listening to music with my kid and guessing just for FUN! THIS is the BEST description EVER! TO, I specially like your description re. Baroque as trilly sorts with hardly any long-held notes and Romantic with big crashy chords (so Beethoven!) . Not sure what you meant by "doesn't go places" though? What's that supposed to mean?

Not sure what you meant by "doesn't go places" though? What's that supposed to mean?
[/quote]

Thanks! Glad you found it useful!
OK, I dunno if you can hear this, but you know how in some romantic pieces, it all builds up dramatically and sounds like the music is really pushing forward? It's like in a film where you hear the music in the background and you feel that you know where the plot is going, what's going to happen next. Well, whereas Romantic music is very dramatic and makes a real grand entrance, it goes places, you get a sense of purpose and real movement. Classical music is still going in a direction, but it takes it slowly, it ambles along, it takes the scenic route. To use the film analagy again; a romantic piece is the equivalent of a high drama scene, while classical is the equivalent of a casual conversation scene with no danger.
I think this might describe it allright; I find it difficult to talk about music without using examples.
Actually, Beethoven is mostly classical, I think, but his famous stuff (duh duh duh duuuh etc) isn't very typical of that period. Crashy-wise, I was thinking Rachmaninov. Now that's some really moving stuff! Of course, there will always be anomalies.
Hope you keep enjoying the music!

There are some great compilation CDs around at present (I think Classic FM did one and, maybe, Naxos?) which tell the story of classical music with extracts from works of the relevant period. They're aimed at kids but I use them when teaching to demonstrate different musical periods - its quicker than delving in the CD cabinet to find the right bits!

The narration is a bit "twee" at times - but the music is in the right period and it's really helpful to listen and understand that perspective, especially for more novice musicians. Sometimes pupils borrow them to listen right through and get a better understanding of musical period and style.

If the range is limited, it's going to be earlier music. Rennaisance is another era which you need to know, listen for simple rhythm, imitation and some unimaginitive chromaticism. Often in 4 parts with a very limited range. Radio 3 did a Saturday afternoon programme where they analysed music, that helped me lots, but since they're doing 10 days of Bach (yay) I guess that might not be on...but listen to radio 3 anyway, it's going to be Baroque until Christmas

Do they exist?

Not really, I was just exaggerating to make a point. Yeah, forgot about Rennaisance music.

f = forte
ff = fortissimo
fff = fortississimo
ffff = fortissississimo
fffff = fortississississimo
I think you'll get the idea. I think, once you get past 3 f's, the composer's getting a bit silly

Didn't some composer use pppppp on a bassoon solo? Kinda gets the point across

You've got to listen to lots of classical music!!!

The three main classical period composers are Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn. Listen to lots of them till you get a feel for their style.

Then, if you hear a piece of classical music and it doesn't sound like any of the above, then it's either Baroque, Renaissance, Romantic or modern.

Listen to lots of Bach, Vivaldi and Handel; if it sounds anything like any of them, it's Baroque period.

Listen to music from the Renaissance period - you'll hear a sort of almost folky, modal, 'plainsong' style, played on lutes and suchlike.

Listen to lots of Romantic period - Tchaikowsky, Dvorak, Schubert etc - your emotions will be stirred and the music won't be reptitive but will sweep on through mood after mood, whether it's orchestral or played on piano (Chopin etc).

The modern period can be atonal, minimalist, jagged-sounding, experimental-sounding and like none of the above.

You'll soon get the hang of it.

Violinia

Try Radio 3, they're playing NOTHING BUT J.S.BACH from now until Christas; perfect example of Baroque stuff.